=Source.=--_Three Fifteenth-Century Chronicles_, pp. 66-68 _and_
94-99. (Camden Society.)
A.--+A Proclamation made by Jack Cade, Captain of the Rebels in
Kent.+
These be the points, causes and mischiefs of gathering and assembling
of us the King's liege men of Kent, the iiij day of June the year
of our Lord +M+iiijcl, the which we trust to Almighty God to
remedy, with the help and the grace of God and of our sovereign lord
the King, and the poor commons of England, and else we shall die
therefore:
We, considering that the King our sovereign lord, by the insatiable
covetous malicious pomps, and false and of nought brought up certain
persons, that daily and nightly is about his highness, and daily inform
him that good is evil and evil is good, as Scripture witnesseth, _Ve
vobis qui dicitis bonum malum et malum bonum_.
Item, they say that our sovereign lord is above his laws to his
pleasure, and he may make it and break it as him list, without any
distinction. The contrary is true, and else he should not have sworn to
keep it, the which we conceived for the highest point of treason that
any subject may do to make his prince run into perjury.
Item, they say that the commons of England would first destroy the
King's friends and afterwards himself, and then bring the Duke of York
to be King....
Item, they say the King should live upon his commons and that their
bodies and goods be the King's; the contrary is true, for then needed
him never parliament to sit to ask good of his commons.
* * * * *
Item, it is to be remedied that the false traitors will suffer no man
to come into the King's presence for no cause without bribes where none
ought to be had, nor no bribery about the King's person, but that any
man might have his coming to him to ask him grace or judgement in such
case as the King may give.
* * * * *
Item, the law serveth of nought else in these days but for to do
wrong....
Item, we say our sovereign lord may understand that his false council
hath lost his law, his merchandise is lost, his common people is
destroyed, the sea is lost, France is lost, the King himself is so set
that he may not pay for his meat and drink, and he oweth more than
ever any King of England owed, for daily his traitors about him, where
anything should come to him by his laws, anon they ask it from him.
* * * * *
Item, his true commons desire that he will avoid from him all the false
progeny and affinity of the Duke of Suffolk ... and to take about his
noble person his true blood of his royal realm, that is to say, the
high and mighty prince the Duke of York, exiled from our sovereign
lord's person by the noising of the false traitor, the Duke of Suffolk
and his affinity.
* * * * *
Item, taking of wheat and other grains, beef, mutton, and other
victual, the which is unbearable hurt to the commons, without provision
of our sovereign lord and his true council, for his commons may no
longer bear it.
Item, the statute upon the labourers and the great extortioners of
Kent.